USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2025-12-06T19:49:52+00:00

Activity Summary:

Episode 38 fountains began at about 8:45 a.m. HST from the north vent after several north vent overflows overnight.  Low fountains and overflows were confined to the two sub vents within the north vent cone for several hours prior to the onset of Episode 38.  Fountains and flows from the south vent began at 8:49 HST.  All three vents are currently producing fountains. South vent fountains are close to 1200 feet (370 meters) high while the north vent fountains have dropped well below their maximum height of 500 feet (150 m).  Hot lava and pumice from the south vent fountained destroyed the V3 streaming camera site within the closed area just before 10:00 a.m. HST.   

Prior to the south vent becoming dominant, there were 3 roughly equal sized 500 foot (150 meter) high fountains with 2 from the north vents and 1 from the south vent.  This triple fountain is an extremely rare event, and this is the first time during this eruption it has been observed. 

The associated plume, composed of water vapor and SO2 gas (possibly with Pele's hair and fine ash) currently has a maximum height of ~15000 feet (4500 m) above ground level.

The summit has deflated approximately 9.5 microradians as measured on the Uēkahuna tiltmeter in about 1 hour and 45 minutes.. The rapid tilt drop and very high output from both vents suggest this may be another relatively short episode lasting less than 6-8 hours similar to episode 37.

For more information about earlier parts of episode 38 see these notices:  

USGS Volcano Activity Notice 

USGS Daily update for Kllauea.

Most episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since December 23, 2024, have continued for around a day or less and have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting generally at least several days. 

• Timeline of eruptive episodes since December 23, 2024: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/science/eruption-information.
• All eruptive activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
• Three Kīlauea summit livestream videos that show eruptive lava fountains are available here: V1cam, V2cam, V3cam.
• KPcam and MKcam provide views of the plume height for aviation purposes.

No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

A VAN/VONA will be issued when sustained high lava fountaining ends, marking the end of episode 38.

Kīlauea Volcano Alert Level/Aviation Color Code remain at WATCH/ORANGE. All current and recent activity is within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Hazards: 

This episodic eruption is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. High levels of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂)—are one major hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind. As SO₂ is continuously released from the summit during an eruption, it will react in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) downwind of Kīlauea. SO₂ and vog may cause respiratory and other problems at high concentrations. Further information on vog can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org/.

Another major hazard is fallout of Pele's hair and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains. Pele's hair is strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity that can be carried well over 10 miles (15 kilometers) from the vent. Other hot glassy volcanic fragments (tephra) including volcanic ash, pumice, scoria, and reticulite can fall on the ground within 1-3 miles (1-5 kilometers) of the eruptive vent(s), with the highest concentrations immediately downwind of the vent(s). Various volcanic fragments have fallen on Highway 11 west of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park at times, depending on wind and eruption conditions. Strong winds may waft light particles, including Pele's hair, to greater distances downwind. Once on the ground, Pele's hair can sometimes cluster and tangle together, giving it the appearance of a tumbleweed. The extent of Pele's hair deposition is dependent on lava fountaining activity and wind conditions. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to Pele's hair and other glassy volcanic fragments, which can cause skin and eye irritation and can also contaminate catchment water supplies. More information about how Pele's hair, its hazards, and what to do is available here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-recent-lava-fountains-highlight-peles-hair-hazards. A recently updated Frequently Asked Questions document that includes information about potential health effects of Pele's hair is available here: https://vog.ivhhn.org/sites/default/files/PelesHair_FAQs_v2.pdf.

Hawaiian lava flows generally advance slowly downslope, and during this eruption flows have been confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea's summit caldera.

Other significant hazards also remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public. This underscores the extremely hazardous nature of Kīlauea's caldera rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since late 2007.